Alcohol consumption is highly prominent around the world and Australia. Most Australians have consumed alcohol at some point of time in their lives. Most individuals doing so at a level that is acceptable and does not lead to any ill health or injury. There is, however, an issue with the misuse and abuse of alcohol in Australia across all age groups. This paper will discuss the use of alcohol in Australia broadly before focusing on the consumption of alcohol in the 16-29 year old age group. This essay will also discuss the impacts of alcohol consumption in the short term and the long term. As misuse and abuse of alcohol can cause many health issues, psychologically and physically. Young adults between the ages of 16-29 years old are a …show more content…
Public health policy will also be discussed as a promotional health intervention.
A majority of Australians have tried alcohol in their lifetime, with only 13.8% of the population reporting to have never consumed alcohol in The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (AIHW, 2013). The consumption of alcohol is done for a variety of reasons and occurs in social situations and cultural contexts. Alcohol may be consumed for sociability, as a result of peer influence, religious observance or for cultural participation. Other common reasons for alcohol consumption in Australia are pleasure and relaxation, mood alteration, boredom, enhanced creativity, intoxication, addiction, habit, to overcome inhibitions or as a self-medication to forget or escape from everyday problems. The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (AIHW, 2013) shows that there has been a decline in individuals that consume alcohol daily with the percentage falling from 7.2% in 2010 to 6.5% in 2013. The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (AIHW, 2013) also discovered that there is an increase in the number of younger individuals that delay the starting of consumption, with the beginning age increasing from 14.4 years in 1998 to 15.7 years in 2013. Any level of alcohol consumption may increase the risk of illness and injury. However, According to The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (AIHW, 2013) most Australians that consume alcohol
These days there are a number of social issues in the community, such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is rampant in today’s society, Australian Drug Foundation states that, “Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive, or mood-changing, recreational drug in Australia.”(Healey, 2002, p. 11). Underage drinking and binge drinking are some of the problems associated with alcohol abuse.
Underage drinking is becoming a serious social issue in modern Australia; with 90% of Australian teenagers over 14 that have tried alcohol at least once. Estimates also suggest that half of Australia’s teenagers drink alcohol on a weekly basis. Underage drinking can cause drink driving and unsafe sex if it is misused. Australia seems to be fond of this drug, and find it to be socially acceptable although it is causing the amount of teenage deaths to rise rapidly due to misuse. Heavy use of Alcohol can also cause health issues later on in the lives of teens that are drinking alcohol. It is hard for parents to be able to prevent their teenagers from consuming and experimenting with alcohol, but they can at least kindly encourage their
Indigenous Australians make up 2.6% of Australia's population; however they experience health and social problems resulting from alcohol use at a rate disproportionate to non-Indigenous Australians.
Partying we all love to do it but do we know how to party safely. Did you know that 15 Australia’s each day and 5545 die each year due to un safe alcohol related behaviours? As well as, 430 hospitalized Australians every day and 157,132 each year are hospitalized due to alcohol related problems? The unsafe social behaviours that cause so many deaths throughout Australia due to alcohol consumption are: sexual abuse, attention deficient, impulsive behaviour, aggressiveness over everything, self-awareness, anxiety relief, empty promises, drink-driving, depression, violent behaviour and last binge drinking.
In many severe cases alcohol, has caused Anaemia, Cancer and Cardiovascular disease. These are, in most ways, lethal and incurable. When describing any of the illnesses above relating to alcohol, doctors use the term: Chronic Heavy Drinking. Every year, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol related diseases and poisoning. This, the Australian Government decided must change. In 2005 the government finally addressed the issues of alcohol abuse in Australia. Many non-for-profit organisations like ‘Drink Wise’ and ‘Drink Tank’ were formed to combat alcohol abuse. Although these did have some affect, the drinking age remained 18.
Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Many young people are facing the consequences of excessive drinking, at a too early age. Because of this issue, underage drinking is a leading public health problem. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking including about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (1–5).
Alcohol consumption amongst the youth is now the new future and the way teenagers tend to live their life. It is apart of the Australian norm and culture however, what drives the younger youth to drink?. Australians accept alcohol as a social drug yet it is responsible for the most related deaths amongst the teenage population. Social aspects such as ones peers, gender, risk taking behaviour and environmental factors all relate back to alcohol. The idea of culture is linked with religion, Indigenous practices coupled with parenting skills also leading to consumption. Finally, an economical approach can be explored when dealing with commercializing beverages, pricing and health expenditures. All these concepts interrelate then become an excuse for one
Over time, it has become a regular thing for citizens of Australian to drink excessive amounts alcohol; Australians of many different ages drink alcohol for a wide range of reasons; whether alcohol is being consumed due to a special occasion, for stress relief, or as an (not so good) anti-depressant. Alcohol, believe it or not makes a huge impact on Australians as young as 14. Statistics show that at least 90% of teenagers 14 years old and up have tried alcohol at least once, and estimates also show that around about 50% of teens 14 and older consume alcohol on a weekly basis. The problem being caused by this deadly drug is that teens under the age of 18 are not complying with the law and are consuming crazy amounts of alcohol on a regular
My Virtual Medical Centre (myVMC, 2016) identifies that binge drinking has significantly increased since 2004, as now approximately 18% of Australian adults engage in binge drinking once a week, while back in 2004, approximately
For many Australians, alcohol consumption is a pleasurable part of everyday life (Parliament of Victoria 2004). However in recent years there have been several reports highlighting that the proportion of adolescents consuming alcohol and the amount of alcohol they are drinking is at record levels (AIHW 2008; White and Hayman 2006; Shanahan and Hewitt 1999). The long and short term sequelae associated with risky or high risk alcohol consumption include negative physical, emotional and social consequences (NHMRC 2001). Immediate harms include accidents, injuries, decreased scholastic and sporting performance, aggression, violence, assault, disrupted family relationships, high risk sexual activity,
This article is a review of previous literature studies conducted on the impacts of alcohol on Indigenous Australians. The Authors objective was to identify previous study methods, update previous reviews, and to investigate if the prior research can hold any keys to interventions that may be put into practice for future reduction of alcohol related harm in the Australian Indigenous population. Alcohol is known to be harmfully used and is a major public health issue. The literature states that Nationally, alcohol-related hospital admissions associated with dependence, acute intoxication and liver disease for Indigenous males in 2002/03 was between two and seven times greater than non-Indigenous males. (Shakeshaft, Clifford & Shakeshaft, 2010).
Australia needs to wake up and realize that society is influencing us to develop the binge culture. Thus, making binge drinking into a social issue. There is a sharp increase of binge drinking in the younger generation with the statistics showing 86.2% of Australian teenagers aged 14-18 years have consumed alcohol. The underage youth are stating that their parents are allowing it, that it is easy to get the alcohol, drinking’s cheaper and that they are getting highly influenced seeing the older (legal aged) youth drinking. Consequently, the younger youth cannot comprehend why they cannot drink
When I step into a college party, the first thing I see around me is alcohol. I often notice underage adolescents drinking and I also distinguish how they become different people when intoxicated by alcohol. They begin to walk funny and they tend to slur their words, making it hard to comprehend anything they are saying. I have watched family members who were so inebriated that they could not even spell their own name or even pinpoint who they were. The questions I always ask myself when I see these drunk college kids is “Do these kids know the effects of alcoholism?”
Today, alcohol is one of the most common substances that people abuse. It is an addictive drink that has become a popular way of having a good time or relaxing in social gatherings. It is among the most commonly used psychoactive drugs. Alcohol is a popular social phenomenon, yet most societies forget its effects on their bodies. Research has carried out in the recent years on the effects that alcohol consumption is having on people. The resulting data has been extremely negative. The introduction of Alco pops', led to a substantial increase in the youth population drinking alcoholic beverages. On average, young people start drinking at approximately age thirteen.